Case Number 05707: Small Claims Court

WU-TANG CLAN: DISCIPLES OF THE 36 CHAMBERS: CHAPTER 2

The Charge

"I went and bought me an outfit today that costed me a lot of money
today. Ya know what I mean? Cause I thought Wu-Tang was gonna win. I don't know
how y'all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the
children. We teach the children. Ya know what I mean? Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang
is the best! Okay, I want you to know that this is ODB and I love you all.
Peace!" -- Ol' Dirty Bastard interrupting Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech
at the 1998 Grammy Awards

The Case

It's Friday, November 12, 2004. The Wu-Tang Clan, that seminal rap act from
the '90s that helped redefined both the genre and the industry end of hip-hop,
are scheduled to perform in New Jersey. It will be the second time in a year
that the divergent personalities that make up this MC supergroup -- RZA, GZA,
Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and U-God --
will be on stage together. Sadly, the entire group is not present. Russell
Jones, a.k.a. Big Baby Jesus, a.k.a. Osiris, a.k.a. ODB/Ol' Dirty Bastard, one
of the outfit's most recognizable names, faces, and performers, has failed to
make the gig. Coming to town for the show, as well as to help the Clan work on
their new album, his flight was unfortunately delayed. And so, the show is
without its clown prince of rap.

In hindsight, it seems like an omen. Less than 24 hours later, Dirty would
collapse in the studio and be pronounced dead. He was only 35 years old. With
his passing, the original lineup of the legendary crew, a gang of ghetto
superstars with a name based in the most metaphysical of the martial arts
(Wu-Tang refers to an "internal" system of kung fu that focuses on
structural and energetic development over strength and dexterity -- quite
fitting, actually) and a belief in the devastating power of their patter, was
gone forever.

Which is what makes the DVD release of Disciples of the 36 Chambers:
Chapter 2, a live concert performance from July 17, 2004, in San Bernadino,
California all the more significant. It was the first reunion of all the
original members since a strange appearance in 2000 when a then-fugitive ODB
appeared onstage in front of several dozen members of New York's finest. It
signaled a hoped-for rebirth for fans of the original Clan lineup, and a chance
to see one of the greatest acts in the history of hip-hop take back both the
stage and the circumstances that they helped create. No one could have
envisioned that it would be the swan song for the full Wu-Tang, the end of a
very important era in urban entertainment. There is no doubt the group will
soldier on, and like most rappers in the great beyond, Dirty is destined to have
a few more CDs/DVDs in his posthumous career catalog. But something will always
be missing.

Presented as an overview of the Clan's combined efforts, and of the
multitude of solo albums and side projects the members have made over the last
decade, this ultra-high energy showcase is a sensational -- and very special --
presentation of the Wu in their prime. The sonic booms bombarding the packed
SoCal house consist of the following 34(?) classic chambers:

* "Bring Da Ruckus": from the album Enter the Wu-Tang (36
Chambers) (1993) * "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'": from
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) * "Clan in Da Front":
from Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) * "C.R.E.A.M.": from
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) * "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin'
Ta F'Wit": from Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) * "Shame
on a Nigga": from Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) *
"Ghost Deini": from the Ghostface Killah solo album Supreme
Clientele (2000) * "Reunited": from the album Wu-Tang
Forever (1997) * "Duel of the Iron Mic": from the Genius/GZA
solo album Liquid Swords (1995) * "For Heaven's Sake":
from Wu-Tang Forever * "Criminology": from the Raekwon
solo album Only Built for Cuban Linx (1995) * "Incarcerated
Scarfaces": from Only Built for Cuban Linx * "Brooklyn
Zoo": from the Ol' Dirty Bastard solo album Return of the 36
Chambers (1995) * "Grind Iron Rap": from the Method Man solo
album Tical 2000: Judgment Day (1998) * "Bring the Pain":
from the Method Man solo album Tical (1999) * "It's Yourz:
from Wu-Tang Forever * "Liquid Swords": from Liquid
Swords * "One Blood Under W": from the album The W
(2000) * "Ice Cream": from Only Built for Cuban Linx * "Triumph": from Wu-Tang Forever * "Da
Rockwilder" from the Method Man/Redman album Blackout! (1999)
* "Cherchez LaGhost": from Supreme Clientele *
"Careful (Click, Click): from The W * "In the Hood":
from the album Iron Flag (2001) * Run: from the Cappadonna solo
album The Pillage (1998) * Run: from the Ghostface Killah solo
album The Pretty Toney Album (2004) * "Tearz": from
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) * "M.E.T.H.O.D. Man":
from Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) * "Dog Shit": from
Wu-Tang Forever * "Shimmy Shimmy Ya": from Return of
the 36 Chambers * "Y'All Been Warned": from Iron
Flag * "The 4th Chamber": from Liquid Swords *
"Gravel Pit": from The W * "Do You Really (Thang,
Thang): from The W

There you have it -- 34 tracks in 90-plus minutes (and you thought the
Ramones could stuff a set list). There are definite positives and negatives to
such a retrospective approach. On the one hand, everyone is made happy as their
favorite juke joint is probably part of the extensive overview. Each member of
the group gets a shot at a symbolic solo shout-out, and the overall feeling of
the Wu-Tang ideal of a familial force is reestablished. On the opposite end of
the entertainment spectrum, many of the powerhouse numbers get edited down and
more or less shortchanged to fit the format. This means that instead of
consisting of 34 full out forces of nature, Disciples of the 36 Chambers:
Chapter 2 occasionally feels like a Wu-Tang "Stars on 45" (for
those of you who don't understand that reference, consider yourself lucky). This
is medley, not message-making, and the segmented sense grows disturbing after a
while.

Granted it must be tough to take the stage, flash your crew signs, and strut
and fret, let alone rattle off reams of complicated rhymes. And the Wu-Tang Clan
aren't doing anything other rappers haven't utilized to increase their fan's
buck bang (the recently reviewed Busta Rhymes: Everything Remains Raw
proves this out). Somehow, in the rap arena, this kind of sound clip conceit is
perfectly acceptable, and for the most part, it is not as irritating as other
issues in the performance (the lack of a true stage "show," the
overabundance of posse onstage at any given time). Still, it would have been
nice to hear several of the classic Wu tracks in their entirety, not edited to
fit some sort of short-attention-span parameters.

All minor misgivings aside however, there is no denying the energy and
vibrance of the Clan as a live act. Taking the arena like rebels during a
revolution, they are masters of crowd manipulation, and completely understand
how to keep the show flowing and fresh. They pull off their complicated couplets
with effortless skill, and cover all the career bases with ever-shifting sound
and communication emphasis. There are several standout aspects of the Wu's
music, aside from their well-crafted ghetto poetry, filled with martial arts
movie imagery and statements of power and providence. RZA, the mastermind behind
the Wu-Tang "sound," avoids samples and overtly lavish production to
strip the rap backing down to some street beat basics. Heavily keyboard/piano
driven and very dark, the Clan's aural attributes overflow with dread and
depression, majesty and menace. The pounding of the staccato hip-hop punch
matches well with the rapid-fire finesse of the verbal volleys, turning every
track into a statement of respect and revolt.

Since RZA was also responsible for almost all the Wu-Tang solo shots, there
is a consistency to the concert that many may mistake as repetitive. But if one
pays close attention to the sonics, one can hear RZA manipulating and
reimagining his style, turning it at times both funny and furious. While the
Wu-Tang Clan gel well together as multi-MCs working incredibly complex rhyme
schemes, there are some obvious standouts. Any opportunity to watch Method Man
or ODB manifest their malfeasant magic on the crowd is automatically worth the
price of admission, yet the rest of the crew -- especially GZA and Ghostface
Killah -- redeem themselves nicely. In group mode, the individual elements all
merge together to create an incredible sense of intricacy, and the frequent use
of curse words only heightens, not hampers, the impact. Though far from being a
Last Waltz or Stop Making Sense kind of statement, Disciples of
the 36 Chambers: Chapter 2 will be, for many, the final flash of brilliance
for this incredibly important group.

Visually, the concert is a collection of several video formats (analog to
digital, handheld to locked-down), and the mixed media mentality is flawlessly
reconfigured to the DVD. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image allows us to
take in the scope of the show while equally enjoying some interesting
compositions and framing. The lack of noticeable defects, combined with detailed
clarity and excellent color correction, allows us the feeling that we are
actually in attendance. So does the dynamic Dolby Digital Stereo mix. Personally
supervised by RZA himself, the music here is atmospheric and angry, pulsating
through your home theater system with subwoofer wonder. Unlike some rap concerts
that seem to bury the vocals in a deluge of sonic sludge, the Wu-Tang voices are
upfront and easily understandable. A fully immersive 5.1 track is also included
and goes a long way to sell the overall spectacle of a Wu-Tang show. There is
depth and drama in this channel challenging presentation, with a true feeling of
being part of the action. While some may complain that the music plays second
fiddle to the fantastic rap skills of the crew, the auditory aspects of this DVD
presentation are amazing.

Of the limited extras here, the ability to watch the concert with or without
interview footage is an excellent added feature. Those not interested in hearing
what the band has to say outside the stage setting can easily avoid the
discussions and move on to the music. However, you will be missing a great deal
of interesting historical and biographical material if you pass on the solo
sit-downs (sadly, ODB is not interviewed). Otherwise, the rest of the bonuses
are basic. We get a couple of videos (for two newer solo songs, not old
standbys), an ad for Wu-Tang merchandise, and a commercial for the DVD. Not
necessarily a wealth of contextual goodies. Only the music-alone mechanism
warrants serious consideration as something special.

At some point, every band ends. No group lasts forever, at least not in
personnel or popularity. Thanks to Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter
2, we get a chance to see the Wu-Tang Clan as they were, and as they will
always be remembered. Unfortunately, this excellent concert DVD may be
overshadowed by the sad events of November 13, 2004. Indeed, while we say
"Rest in Peace" to Russell Jones, his passing may also be the death
knell for one of the most influential rap acts of all time. If you want to see
what made the Wu-Tang Clan such significant contributors to hip-hop, check out
this DVD. You won't be disappointed.